overextend

verb

over·​ex·​tend ˌō-vər-ik-ˈstend 

overextended; overextending; overextends

transitive verb

: to extend or expand beyond a safe or reasonable point

especially : to commit (oneself) financially beyond what can be paid

When the interest rate went up, he found he'd overextended himself.

overextension

ˌō-vər-ik-ˈsten(t)-shən 

noun

Examples of overextend in a Sentence

He overextended a muscle in his arm.

Recent Examples on the Web

By July, morale among immigration officers had dipped below its nadir during the Biden Administration, with agents now complaining of being overextended, inundated with novice recruits, and undermined by inflammatory rhetoric from on high. — Francisco Cantú, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

Always bend your knees and never overextend while picking something up. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Consistency signals a plan that fits their life, not a product that overextends them. — Anand Solanki, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

One possible reason is that safety professionals themselves are overextended, with too many sites to monitor and outdated sensors to monitor with. — Matt Alderton, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing overextend

• overextend oneself

Rhymes for overextend

• superintend
• amend
• append
• ascend
• attend
• backend
• befriend
• boyfriend
• commend
• compend
• contend
• defend

Kids Definition

overextend

verb

over·​ex·​tend ˌō-vər-ik-ˈstend 

: to extend or expand beyond a safe or reasonable point

especially : to commit (oneself) financially beyond what can be paid

overextension

-ˈsten-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

overextend

transitive verb

over·​ex·​tend ˌō-və-rik-ˈstend 

: to extend too far

overextend the back

overextension

-ˈsten-chən 

noun